Healthy Living

You know what fall is good for? Apples. Fresh apples from the tree, apple cider, apple muffins ... the thought of anything with the crisp, fresh fruit makes my mouth water. But according to a team of science types from across the pond in London, one of the season's best treats could actually be bad for us. Apples? Bad for our health? I'm feeling a tad bit skeptical.

Apparently if you eat an apple slowly, the high acidity levels of the fruit can damage your teeth. I suppose that makes some sense. But then, in an article from The Daily Mail, it's written that eating apples can be "up to four times more damaging to teeth than carbonated drinks."

So let me get this straight: Apples, you know, nature's candy, are worse for you than deathly soda? Oh give me a freakin' break.

When compared to soda drinkers, people who ate apples were 3.7 times more likely to damage their chompers, according to the research. To be frank, I just can't help but laugh here. I mean really -- isn't the classic phrase "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," not "An apple a day will eventually make you absolutely miz and plops you into a dentist's chair." Do you hear what I'm saying?

It feels like every day there's some new fancy schmancy study telling us that certain things are good or bad for us. Take coffee, for example. One day, four cups of coffee are recommended to stave off depression, and the next -- it's giving us MRSA. Whether it be a healthy bite, like apples, or a candy bar -- there are always going to be ups and downs to every food choice we make. And if we listen to every little "study" that tells us the worse of two evils, then we'll drive ourselves crazy. I know one thing: There's no way I'm going to stop eating apples, ever.

I say the best thing we can do to stay healthy is maintain a balanced diet. Of course, here and there "scares" like the whole listeria shebang will happen, and that's a legitimate excuse to avoid certain foods. But other than that, eat whatever you want as long as it's in moderation. And as for apples? We all know it's abnormal to actually eat them slowly, they're too delicious! So what the hey, eat up. And wash it down with an ice cold Diet Coke, while you're at it.

Do you believe the hype that apples are "worse" for you than soda?

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